The church has retained its original architectural typology (a general and generic evaluation of the architectural elements and construction styles of the building suggests it is a structure built in the Baroque style, though a more thorough analysis and assessment would be advisable), despite undergoing periodic repairs and renovations:

– **1777**: Major restoration work was carried out, as attested by the inscription on the façade, which states that the religious structure was even founded that year.
– **1844**: The building was in poor condition, leading to its closure and significant repairs to the foundations, walls, and vault, as well as the repainting of the walls.
– **1882**: General restoration work was carried out by the priors.
– **1885–1886**: A major renovation required the church to be re-consecrated on February 21, 1886. An inscription on the façade notes that the building collapsed on April 5, 1885, and was restored by August 1886.

The interior of the church features a single nave topped by a three-bay vault and a raised presbytery, four steps above the nave floor. Along the right wall of the nave, in the middle section, there is a large chapel (which externally occupies part of the adjacent Via Piemonte). On the opposite wall, also in the middle section, is the side entrance to the church (accessible from Via Sassari; the main entrance faces the square named after the Madonna).

**Description**: A small statue, approximately 50 cm in height, placed in the niche above the altar. The Virgin is depicted with a markedly hieratic facial expression—her gaze is fixed forward, and no smile softens her composed and stern features. There are no documents confirming its acquisition, and currently, it is impossible to verify directly whether the statue bears a date or the artist’s signature. Consequently, dating the piece is impossible, though its features, especially the facial traits, suggest a certain modernity. Notably, the statue lacks the Baby Jesus, who typically accompanies depictions of the Blessed Virgin.

**Image**: Statue
**Original Location of the Sanctuary**: Along the church walls, in the sacristy, on the Madonna statue.
**Notes on the Collection**: The inability to examine the objects directly prevents providing any temporal context for them.
**Types of Ex-Votos**: Jewelry, Anthropomorphic figurines, Real or depicted prosthetics, Various objects
**Current Preservation**: Parish house.

The first date refers to the earliest documented mention of the sanctuary, which was certainly built after 1602, as it does not appear in a report by a local canon from that year. It was founded at the behest of a certain Giovanni Stefano Porcu.

The consulted publications, like the documentary material found, shed no light on the sanctuary’s founding legend, nor did a personal field investigation among the village elders reveal anything on the matter.

– **First half of the 17th century**: Construction of the church.
– **1777**: Major restoration work.
– **1844**: Church closed due to deterioration, followed by structural repairs.
– **1858**: The church was repurposed as a school building.
– **1885–1886**: Another significant restoration.

In 1999, the diocesan curia recognized the church as a jubilee sanctuary; consequently, pilgrims visiting the site during the novena and feast would receive a plenary indulgence.

The indicated year refers to the first documented evidence of the sanctuary’s existence. Since its construction certainly postdates 1602 (it does not appear in Canon Sanna’s report from that year), we must assume that, from its erection, the building was always under the jurisdiction of the Siniscola parish priest responsible for the Church of St. John the Baptist, which attained parish status at the end of the 16th century (precisely in 1583). Until then, the parish function was held by the Church of St. Anastasia, an ancient building that fell into disuse in the 16th century due to its location outside the town’s defensive walls.

Again, the chronological reference pertains to the first documented evidence of the sanctuary’s existence. In any case, this responsibility has always been carried out by the parish priest.

It is a female priory that, throughout the year—especially during the novena and feast—takes care not only of the sanctuary’s maintenance, preparation, and decoration but also of certain liturgical and religious aspects of the celebrations. On the other hand, the festival’s organization, particularly the setup and management of the civil events surrounding the religious celebration, is handled by a village committee open to both genders.

Regarding the female priory, it is important to note that there is no statute regulating its operations, though there is a customary practice for the annual appointment of the prioress. This is done through a draw held on the Monday morning after the feast day (which falls on the second Sunday of October), immediately after the 10 AM Mass celebrated in the sanctuary by the parish priest among the priory members. Small slips of paper, each bearing a member’s name, are placed in a bowl, along with an additional slip inscribed with the Madonna’s name. The woman whose name is drawn immediately after the Madonna’s slip is deemed the chosen one to serve as prioress until the following year. Her role is to coordinate the priory’s work, organizing and directing its activities, though without assuming a position of superiority over the others—essentially, she is *prima inter pares*. This election ritual concludes and seals all the festivities dedicated to the Madonna for that year.

It is a co-patronage, likely held by the descendants of the original founder, extended to four families: the Cartas, the Loys, the Farrises, and the Pugiones, who were also repeatedly involved in the church’s restoration and refurbishment.

The sanctuary was under the patronage of its founder, Giovanni Stefano Porcu, who, in addition to the *jus patronatus* in the strict sense, held the *jus sepeliendi*. The earliest attestation of this situation comes from the Corongiu questionnaire. Additionally, the same document specifies that the church was not endowed with any patrimony—at least according to the knowledge of the document’s author—and that the building’s upkeep was the responsibility of the founder’s heirs, who were also in charge of organizing the feast.

08029 Siniscola NU, Italy